Cherry - Wanna Play? - Blu-Ray

Content: Young Angelina (Ashley Hinshaw), has had enough of her small town life. The job at a laundry, her constantly drunk mother (Lili Taylor), her meddlesome significant other and the responsibility she has to take care of her little sister Jojo (Maya Raines), it's all just getting to be too much for her. That's why she agrees to have nude photos taken of herself. With the money she makes from this, she moves to San Francisco with her good friend Andrew (Dev Patel). Here she hopes to start over completely and make some good money. But as a waitress in a strip club, she doesn't make nearly enough to afford the life she dreamed of in her hometown. And so, on the advice of a colleague, she decides to try her hand as a porn actress. And indeed, the tide seems to turn for Angelina now. Her director Margaret (Heather Graham) is thrilled from the first moment by her natural beauty and her uninhibited nature. And things also seem to be finally working out in love after meeting the wealthy Francis (James Franco). But happiness comes at a price Angelina may not be willing to pay...

Cherry was born out of a close collaboration between writer Stephen Elliott and porn actress Lorelei Lee. The two not only share a friendship, but also their knowledge of the industry, which doesn't necessarily have a good reputation. In their joint script Elliott and Lee wanted to tell a story that should show that there are not only the often described horror scenarios, but also very positive stories with a happy ending. That even in the porn industry there is something like family cohesion or room for romance. It is very pleasant that this story is told without the usual moralistic finger and pleasantly relaxed, even if a more critical portrayal of the porn business here and there would have been desirable to the film.

The difficulties with which Angelina is confronted, therefore, arise not in her work, but in her personal environment. Her family is broken and her boyfriend has difficulties with her job, although he is initially very open-minded. You can always tell that Stephen Elliott, who makes his directorial debut with Cherry, was striving for authenticity. The look of the movie as well as the dramaturgical structure of the various conflict situations seems very close to reality. In addition, the drama can boast a very good cast, where especially Ashley Hinshaw (Chronicle, LOL) as Angelina/Cherry leaves a very positive impression.

Despite all the good ambitions and positive aspects, Cherry can not convince all along the line. Some of the secondary characters seem to be drawn in a very stereotypical way and some conflicts are dealt with in a very superficial way. This is especially noticeable in the final confrontation between Angelina and her best buddy Andrew. While it's clear why Angelina feels hurt here, based on the intensity of this friendship as it was shown before, the aftermath of this argument is a bit overdone and unsatisfyingly resolved for the viewer. The actual ending, which still involves a very drastic change for Angelina's life, then also comes across a bit rushed. Without giving too much away, it simply has to be said that this twist in the story, at least from Angelina's point of view, has been too little prepared to really seem believable.

Cherry is, on balance, a successful drama in many respects, with good and commendable ambitions. However, some somewhat flat supporting characters, a not necessarily polished dramaturgy and in the end a very one-sided look at the porn industry prevent the directorial debut of bestselling author Stephen Elliott from being in a league with comparable works like Boogie Nights. Nevertheless: the good cast and some very engagingly staged scenes make this independent drama then despite its weaknesses yet: worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: The image of the Blu-Ray is absolutely clean and has a very good image sharpness and an authentic color scheme. Even minor details come through well here, with only minor drops in quality noticeable in very dark scenes. The sound remains largely unspectacular despite the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, but this is less due to the quality than to the very quiet and dialogue-heavy production. The voices of the actors or the voice actors sound clear and powerful from the speakers, smaller ambient noises and the soundtrack provide here and there for a little movement in the surround. Good!

Extras: In addition to the trailer for the film, further program tips from the provider and two short cut scenes (approx. 1:30 min.), the Blu-Ray also offers an interesting interview with co-writer Lorelei Lee (approx. 19 min.), who has worked as a porn actress herself for 13 years. In the interview, recorded after a screening at the 2012 Berlinale, Lee talks about how she came to write the script with Stephen Elliott and the extent to which her own experiences were incorporated into the story. An interesting and sympathetic conversation that is a good complement to the main film.

Conclusion:Cherry is a behind-the-scenes look at the porn industry that strives for authenticity but doesn't always translate its lofty ambitions into action. Some of the supporting characters remain very template-like and the ending comes across as a bit rushed. Still, the directorial debut of writer Stephen Elliott can score with its good cast and some very strong scenes. Co-writer Lorelei Lee explains how close the film actually is to reality in the scant but interesting bonus material. No comparison to Boogie Nights, but still well worth seeing despite its flaws!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp